Commuters plying the popular Abuja-Keffi road on Wednesday night were forced to trek long distances to their destinations following the traffic gridlock that ensued after a tragic Karu bridge accident.
Six persons were confirmed to be burnt to death and several others were injured after a cement-laden Dangote truck suffered a brake system failure while descending from the Kugbo hill towards Nyanya.
The cement truck, powered by Compressed Natural Gas, rammed into several vehicles after its driver lost control of the steering, before exploding.
The explosion engulfed several other vehicles thereby making the Karu Bridge section of the Abuja-Keffi highway impassable.
This resulted in a traffic gridlock that stretched from the scene of the accident to AYA junction in Asokoro from around 6.30 p.m. when the accident occurred to the early hours of Thursday morning.
The stranded commuters, including women and children, were seen trekking around 2 am from AYA junction to Nyanya, where they hoped to get Keke Napep or okada that would take them home.
Those coming into the Abuja city centre from the Nyanya-Maraba axis were equally not spared as the accident triggered a chaotic situation where desperate motorists who had lost patience resorted to navigating their way to the opposite carriageway to drive 'one-way'.
This also resulted in a non-negotiable logjam, which the presence of the Federal Road Safety Corps, the Police, the VIO, the Fire Service, and others could not help ease.
Some of the commuters who spoke in frustration called on the Government to provide an alternative route they can ply whenever such incidence occurs. They also heaped blame on the Nasarawa state government for not connecting the state through internal roads to the boundary between the state and the FCT.
